Authorities in China’s western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have blamed construction defects and management failures – rather than the actions of tourists – for a deadly suspension bridge failure last summer.

In a report released on Thursday, investigators concluded that “legal violations, gross negligence and dereliction of duty” caused the Jiangjun Bridge at the Xiata Scenic Area in Yili to tilt, killing five people and injuring 24 others.

The incident occurred at 6.15pm on August 6, when the main cable on the south side of the bridge snapped and caused the bridge deck to tilt violently, hurling tourists into the river below.

A survivor told Southern Metropolis Daily on August 7 that, before the collapse, a few tourists deliberately shook the bridge, making it hard for others to keep their balance.

There were suspicions at the time that the swaying had affected the structure but the report said the direct cause was the bridge’s own engineering defects, not any action by tourists.

At the time of the accident, only about 120 tourists were on it – far below its design load of up to 2,500 people.